The Removal from Hogwarts
by Bubbybee
Summary: Justin Finch-Fletchly and his new friend Barron Boyd have been expelled form Hogwarts in their seventh year due to their blood status. The boys decide to seek schooling in the Muggle Wulfric Rose Grammar and meet an interesting troop of friends.
1. Chapter 1: The Start of the Story

**Chapter One**

Justin sat at his desk in his darkened room, head in his hands. By his left elbow, sat a recently opened letter, bearing the Hogwarts coat of arms; the green, loopy writing scrawled on the parchment, blurred from the un-shed tears of anger in his eyes. The letter has been sent to inform Justin that, unfortunately, he no longer meets the requirements to be accepted to Hogwarts, and therefore should seek a new place of enrollment. By his right, a wand, snapped in his anger, sat. The unicorn hair, white and radiant, curls from one end of the broken willow, and back into the other. He slammed his fist on his desk, upsetting the caged owl in the corner of his room. Upon hearing a disturbance upstairs, Mrs. Agatha Finch-Fletchley headed upstairs to see how her dear son was coping. She quietly ascended the staircase, and upon reaching his door, took a deep breath. It hurt her so much to see her son have the one thing he cared about taken away from him.

Mr. Finch-Fletchley had passed away not long before the first parchment, carried by a small, tawny owl. Justin and his father were close, and his death affected him more than anyone else. Justin became withdrawn, hardly leaving his room and almost never eating. His normally exuberant, outgoing self was replaced by a sullen, meaningless boy. His normally stocky body now gaunt and sickly. Agatha was beginning to feel that she had lost both her son and husband when, with a squawk, the mail fell through the slot. She hurried to the door, glad for the distraction, when she noticed the thick, yellowed parchment, bearing an odd coat of arms. This was curious, but even more curious, was the intended recipient: her Justin. Initially, Agatha was thrilled. Finally, something that might give Justin something to do! However, her heart dropped as she read the return address: 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' who do they think they are, playing some kind of sick joke with her fragile son? She turned from his door, and sat at the kitchen table. To this day, Agatha can't tell you how long she sat and stared at that letter, holding a bread knife in her left hand. One, maybe two hours passed as she sat there, eyeing the envelope suspiciously. She couldn't take it anymore. Slipping her knife under the soft waxy seal, she opened the letter. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

_'Dear Mr. Finch- Fletchley,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress_

The second piece of parchment in the letter seemed to be a list of school supplies:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM First-year students will require: sets of plain work robes (black) plain pointed hat (black) for day wear pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings) Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

_COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 wand 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) 1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS'_

She was absolutely flabbergasted. These people actually thought Justin- her Justin- was a wizard? She dismissed it as nonsense and locked the letter in a kitchen draw. This, however, didn't deter the sender. Everyday a new letter would arrive. Everyday, it was locked in the kitchen draw. After three weeks of this, Agatha couldn't even lock the draw, as it was so full of un-read letters. She decided enough was enough and penned a letter to the 'school':

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I believe there must be a mistake. My son, Justin never has and never will be enrolled in your 'school'; in fact, he in enrolled in Eton. I don't know who you are, or what you think you will gain from this prank, but please, we are going through a hard time at the moment, and would like to be left alone._

_Yours truly,_

_Mrs. Agatha Finch- Fletchley._

Almost immediately after slotting the letter through the post box, a letter in reply was dropped in her bag by the same tawny owl. Shocked, she opened the letter.

_'Mrs. Agatha Finch-Fletchley,_

_I fear we have had a misunderstanding. I hope to rectify this as soon as possible. A representative from the school will be arriving at your home in exactly twenty minutes to discuss this further. Thank you for your understanding._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Professer Minerva McGonnagall._

_Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'_

'Understanding! I don't understand any of this!' she gasped. She checked her watch; she only had fifteen minutes to return home before some stranger would turn up at her door and demand to be let in! Oh! Her poor boy will be all by him self when that happens! He is in no state for this excitement.

Ten minutes later, Agatha sat on the loveseat in the living room, a pile of letters in her lap. She was breathing deeply, trying to make up her mind. Should she let them in? Hear them out? Surely there was a misunderstanding: These people are obviously deranged, thinking they are wizards. In. Out. In. Out. 'Well', she thought 'stranger things have happened. You hear stories of aliens and monsters almost every week. Ghost stories were even more common. Why couldn't THIS be possible?' she reasoned. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to fit. When Justin was just a young child- around one or two- she had left him to play quietly by himself in the living room while she visited the bathroom. The whole time, she kept hearing noises, like a bouncy ball hitting the ceiling. She hurried out to check on her son, only to find him bobbing around the ceiling fan! She remembered how she frantically tried, to no avail, to get him down with a broom. An hour later, he happily floated down by himself. There was also the time in kindergarten when they were growing seeds as a class. No one else's even sprouted, but at his touch, a flower blossomed out of the damp cotton balls, shocking his teacher. Odd things did happen every now and then to Justin, but that didn't mean he was a wizard…

Agatha's thoughts were interrupted by a loud 'Bang' at the front door, much like the sound of a car backfiring. There was a knock at the door, followed by a wheeze. Agatha took a deep breath, and went to answer the door.


	2. Chapter 2: The Ministry Approaches

**Chapter Two**

The man at her door did not live up her expectations, and the disappointment she felt upon laying eyes on him rather shocked her. She was expecting a man in flowing robes, with an equally flowing beard, maybe even some glasses and a pointy hat. This man, however, was simply dressed in a rather sharp, classic black suit. Instead of the wizened old man, this man was in his thirties, maybe even younger. With dark hair and equally dark eyes, Agatha found him rather attractive.

'Oh Agatha. You are a horrible person. Look at you; your husband whom you loved dearly is only four months past, and you are already looking at other men! You really ought to be ashamed of yourself' she scalded.

She looked back up at the man. The only indication that this man was more than he seemed was the branch of Yew in his top pocket, and the rather curious contraption in his left hand. It looked like an archaic asthma inhaler, built from metal with a glass vile of swirling orange gas protruding from its top.

The man held up his right hand, in the universal signal of 'give me a minute'. He brought the inhaler up to his mouth, breathed in deeply. Held his breath for what seemed like hours to Agatha, who just wanted to know what was going on. At long last, the man let out a wheezing cough, misty orange tendrils escaped his lips as he did so. He took a second to recompose himself, and then put out his hand. 'I'm terribly sorry about that, I have always had a nasty reaction to appirating; it knocks the breath right out of me... But never mind that. My name is James Newton. I'm a representative from the Ministry of Magic Education Division. I understand that you believe there has been a mistake regarding your son's enrollment at Hogwarts. May I come in?' he spoke this in a calming welsh accent. She nodded dumbly and shook his hand, puzzled by this strange man.

He sits on the love seat, inviting her to join him on the other side. Pulling out a clipboard, he begins: 'I suppose we should get down to business. I believe you received several letters informing you that your son Justin is a wizard. According to my records, he has had no knowledge of this, as soon as the letters arrived; they were locked in a kitchen draw. Agatha- can I call you Agatha? - could you please express your concerns regarding your son's enrollment?' he stops and smiles patiently at her.

She swallows, her carefully rehearsed speech forgotten. 'Well, um, Mr. Newton-' 'Call me Jim' he interrupts pleasantly. Agatha stared at him, stunned. It takes a second or two for her to register what he has said. 'Ok, well, Jim, Justin can't go to this school. I'm afraid that he is already enrolled at Eton. He has friends there, and I'm afraid such another big change in his life would do him no good.' he nods understandingly. 'so your problem with Justin attending Hogwarts is not the fact that he is a wizard, it's that after your husbands death you think it would be best not to upset him too much.' his arm reached out to touch her hands, which were placed in her lap.

She noticed this and immediately her hands flew to her tightly curled hair. 'How did you know about my husband?' she asked. 'That is not the point Agatha, and also not an answer to the question I asked. Do you have a problem with Justin being a wizard?' he asked again gently.

She looked up at him. 'I don't think it bothers me,' she started quietly 'and that thought bothers me quite a bit.' He took her hand and stroked it, just as he was about to say something, heavy footsteps started down the stairs. These were the footsteps of someone fed up with life. These were the footsteps of young Justin. James quickly dropped Agatha's hand, and Justin scowled at him, but said nothing as he clomped into the kitchen.

'I believe now may be a good time to inform Justin of your decision, whichever way you decide, however it is against wizard law to not inform a young witch or wizard of their gifts.'

Agatha nodded weakly.

'Justin, honey, could you please come in here? I-we need to tell you something. It's fairly important, so please listen.' Justin reentered the room, a bottle of milk swinging from his left hand. He sat down one of the lounge room chairs. Looking up at James, Agatha uttered four words that would turn their life around: 'you're a wizard, Justin.'

Little were they to know that on the very same day, no more than 50 miles away, similar words were spoken to another boy that would change the course of history.


	3. Chapter 3: The Formulation of the Plan

**Chapter Three**

Sighing once more, Agatha knocked on Justin's door.

'Justin, honey, can I come in? Please? I know you don't want to talk, but please, just listen.'

The door seemed to swing open of its own accord. She looked at her son. It had been two weeks since that letter had arrived, and Justin still hadn't said a word to her. He turned to look at her, his sullen eyes just like those after his father had died.

Since his acceptance to Hogwarts, everything had been going well for him. He was making great new friends in his House, he was doing well in school, joined a school club (Dumbledore's Army- a club that's purpose was to assist the headmaster in any way they could. What a sweet thing!) And had even caught the eye of a sweet girl in the year below, Theresa McMillan. While there was that incident in Justin's second year- something about an animal attack, the school didn't actually specify- things were looking good for him.

Slowly, Justin healed from his pain, and not without the help of Jim. Just thinking about James Newton brought a smile to Agatha's lips. She and Jim had become engaged not two months ago, before all this mess with the Wizarding world started. Jim had had to spend some time in Romania until the mess settled down, but he sent messages daily. One of these correspondences was sitting safely in her pocket. Agatha sat down on his bed- unmade, she noticed- and pulled out the letter. 'Honey, Jim has sent a letter, he sends his love, as usual...' she trailed off, seeing her son's sombre expression. 'Anyway, Jim mentions something that I think is interesting. I'm not sure what you will think of it, but I agree with him... Of course the decision will be up to you. We think you should go to school. A Muggle school, not a Magical one obviously. We think it would be for the best. You can choose the school, of course. Just, please think about it and let me know.' With that, Agatha rose from the bed, about to leave the room.

'Yes.' Said Justin softly.

'Sorry?'

'I would like to go to a Muggle school.'

Agatha was startled. She had never had thought in a million years that Justin would agree to such a thing.

'Ok then. We have a few weeks. We can look around and see what you think would be best.'

'Thank you... and Mother?'

'Yes Honey'

She looked back at her son. A new spark glowed in his eyes.

'I love you'

With that, Agatha left the room, a sense of joy filling her heart. 'I cannot wait to tell Jim!' she beamed.

Up in his room, Justin was penning a letter of his own. A fellow expelled Hogwarts Student, Barron Boyd, lived in the area. Until now, Justin had been too despondent to even think about contacting him. Now, a sense of excitement filled Justin as he filled in the Gryffindor boy with his plan. He will always be loyal to Hogwarts and the Wizarding community (He _was _a Hufflepuff after all) but why should that stop him from going to a Muggle School.

_'__Trust Jim to come up with an idea like this!' _Justin thought. To begin with, Justin was wary of Jim and his interest in his mother, but over the last few years, the two had become close. So much so that Justin had the pleasure of being offered the position of 'Best Man' at the upcoming wedding_. _While both Jim and Justin knew that he would never replace Mr. Finch Fletchley, they never dwelt upon it.

Justin Picked sealed the envelope, and attached it to the leg of his owl, Peter, thinking over what he had sent:

_'__Barron,_

_I know we don't exactly know each other, but I feel that as exiled Students, we should stick together. My mother and soon to be step father have had a brilliant idea. We should attend Muggle School for the next year! It will be great. Just the thought of doing something like this is exciting. Imagine! A Muggle School! Would you like to join me on this endeavour? I will always be a Wizard, and Hopefully Harry and his crew will get this crisis over with, so that everyone can be safe again, but in the meantime, why not?_

_I know you want to work for the Ministry too (I want to work in the same field as Jim- Education and Muggle Relations Department). How good will a year of Muggle Schooling look on applications?_

_Let me know what you decide, so we can choose a school together._

_J.F.F'_

Not three days later a reply came- not by owl, but by Muggle Post:

_'__Justin,_

_I'm in. Where do you think we should go? There is a good school around here. Eton I think- Oh wait, isn't that where you were enrolled to begin with? Maybe not there then. There is a boarding school in the next town over. I think it's called __**Wulfric Rose Grammar**__. Wulfric. Wasn't that one of Big D's names? It sounds like a good omen. Maybe we should meet up. Can your parents come to our house this Saturday? We can sort it all out there. I think this will be a lot of fun!_

_B.B'_

And so three weeks later Justin Finch Fletchley and his new friend Barron Boyd were enrolled at Wulfric Rose Grammar.


	4. Chapter 4: Wulfric Rose Grammar

**Chapter Four**

Justin posed at the front door, his mother clicking away on a camera just like Colin Creevley.

'Now just one more. One more and I'll let you go!' His mother promised. He didn't put much hope in this, as she had used up two roles of film that morning, all the while claiming there was 'only one more!'

Her happy snapping was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of the Boyd's. Now Barron and Justin had to endure yet another round of photos and calls of 'aren't they smart!' Barron looked right at home in his new navy and gray uniform, his long brown hair tied back, and his normally scruffy tanned skin gleaming. There was no doubt that Barron was handsome; even at Hogwarts he seemed to always have a following of love struck third years who hang off his every word, who begged for the chance to attend the Yule ball with him. Barron, however, only had eyes for one girl. Kimberly Mason, whom he had lived next door to all his life. Though much to Barron's chagrin never had eyes for him.

Justin had insisted on using his Hogwarts uniform. After swapping a robe for a blazer and the Hufflepuff crest for the Phoenix and Dragon that adorn the Wulfric Rose Crest, Justin felt at home in his new uniform. Having laid eyes on the crest, Justin was left with no doubt in his mind that this was the right school for them. Agatha finally put down her camera (but only after Justin warned her they were going to be late), and the boys packed their Hogwarts trunks into the back of Mr. Boyd's Ford Falcon. There had been much debate over wether or not to take the Hogwarts trunks- would it arouse any suspicions? - In the end, they decided that it wouldn't matter. Once everything was packed into the car, the boys stood at the back of the car, patiently being assaulted with hugs, kisses and sobs of 'be careful!' and 'Yes, I will feed Peter!'

Mr. Boyd, a rather plain looking accountant, drove the boys safely and rather boringly to their new school. This trip was rather un-eventful apart from the three wrong turns taken, and the badly sung songs sung.

Upon approaching the gates that surrounded the campus, the boys were not disappointed, as they were expecting. How can anywhere live up to the amazing Hogwarts grounds? Well, Wulfric Rose Grammar did a pretty good job of it. The main building was a Victorian Manor house that would put even Pemberley to shame. With amazing, far-spread gardens and a glassy river flowing through the grounds, the boys found themselves in awe.

After all of the necessary paperwork was signed and the tours given, Justin and Barron found themselves in their new dorm rooms. Gone were the four poster beds and chests. Instead were two king sized beds, with matching covers embroidered with the school crest.

'Classy' Barron quipped, dumping his trunk on a nearby bed.

'Yeah, it is rather… Glaring, I suppose. I will miss the four posters though, and the garden in the common room…' Justin trailed off.

'Wait a second! There is a third bed here! I thought we were sharing a room!' Justin Cried.

Barron whipped around, and for the first time noticed the third bed in the room.

'Aw man. We're going to have to share a room with some Muggle. I was going to have my old books out and some pictures from Hogwarts! How can I do any of that is there is a Muggle two meters away!' Barron kicked his trunk in his frustration, causing him to utter some rather foul words regarding the case's heritage and mother.

Just as Barron's latest profanity left his lips, there was a knock at the door.

'Who is it?' Justin asked.

'It's Alex Watson. Your new room mate? Can I come in?' the voice called from the other side of the door.

Barron and Alex looked at each other in alarm. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and managed to convey a message: 'Merlin's Pants' The boys scrambled to shove their trunks under the bed, Barron tucking his wand down his pants, and opened the door.


	5. Chapter 5: The Squib Among Us

**Chapter Five**

The first thing you would notice about the boy at the door is his scruffy flaming red hair. The second would be hi unusual height. Alex looked as if he were at least 6"9. Justin and Barron gaped up at him. They found him oddly familiar.

'Um, hey.' Justin started off.

'Yeah, Hey.' Barron repeated dumbly.

'Hey! Um, would you guys mind if I came in? These bags are kind of heavy.' He said cheerily down at them. The boys mutely stepped aside.

'So, you guys are new right? I haven't seen you around these parts before.' Alex prompted as he unpacked his socks.

Justin was the first to snap out of it.

'Yeah, yes, sorry! I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley and this,' he indicated at Barron, 'is my friend Barron Boyd.'

'Hey' Barron said again weakly, this time accompanied by a wave.

Alex dumped his bags on the remaining bed.

'Sweet. Like I said, I'm Alex. Where did you transfer from?' he queried while unpacking his pyjamas from his bag, folding them neatly and placing them in his third draw.

Justin and Barron again exchanged glances. Their official story is that they were homeschooled by a local widow, by the name of Sprout, who had recently passed away, but they weren't sure that this would work. They relayed this story to Alex.

'Aw man, that's got to be sad. I'm sorry to hear that.'

'Yeah, it was a bit sad; I'm really going to miss her...' Barron trailed off sadly.

The boys stood in silence for a while, thinking about the teachers and the lives they had lost while Alex continued to unpack.

Alex broke the silence by dropping what appeared to be a glass ball. Instead of shattering, as what would be expected, the ball simply bounced and rolled under Justin's bed, hitting his Hogwarts trunk.

'Merlin's beard!' Alex exclaimed as he dived under the bed in search of his rememberall.

What happened next seemed to occur in slow motion:

Justin and Barron screaming 'Nooooooo...!' and tackling Alex to the ground.

Alex, in the brief second before being crushed under the weight of the two boys, saw a peculiar and very familiar crest on a chest under the new boy's bed.

The next second, he had had the wind knocked out of him.

'Um, you guys, would you mind getting off me?' Alex Wheezed.

The boys all stood up, Barron and Justin looked sheepishly at the carpet as if it were the most interesting thing they had ever seen.

'Now, could you please explain two things to me: One, why the heck you two just tackled me to the ground, and Two, Why you have a Hogwarts chests?' Alex asked rubbing his ribs.

'Um, we just, um...' Justin stuttered.

'We picked them up at a charity store. Didn't we, Justin?' Barron filled in, stepping on Justin's foot.

Justin took the hint. 'Yeah. We saw them there, and we knew we would we moving schools, and decided that we needed a new trunk each...'

Alex looked sceptical. He eyed the boys up and down; 'Ok, that is sort of believable. But what about you, Barron. I can see your wand, there in your pocket, don't even try and explain that, I know what it is.'

Exasperated, Alex shook his head in exasperation while Barron guiltily took his wand and placed it on a chest of draws.

'I should have known Professor Potts had put me with two of _you _why didn't I see it earlier? You even mentioned Sprout!_._'

'Wait, but you're a Muggle! That ball, it was a rememberall! Where did you get it?' Justin demanded.

Alex laughed hollowly; all glint of humour had left his eyes.

'I'm not a Muggle, I'm a Squib. If I'm right, you are in the same year as my cousin; Ron Weasley.'


	6. Chapter 6: New People

**Chapter Six**

'I thought you looked familiar!' Barron cried, flinging an arm over Alex's shoulder (which was no easy feat, as he was almost a full foot taller than Barron), but Alex just shrugged it off and crossed the room.

'Oh, I knew I had heard your name before!' Justin exclaimed, 'when I was, um, petrified in second year, I heard Ron telling Hermione about his family! What did he say about you...? That's right! You are the best creature handler he knew, besides Hagrid of course. People don't seem to realize it, but petrified people hear everything...'

Justin was laying it on thick, he knew, but Alex's eyes seemed to soften hearing this.

'You know, I think I took your Ginny out for a pint once...' Barron piped in, unhelpfully.

Alex swung his fist in Barron's general direction, but his heart wasn't in it, and Barron dodged it easily.

'You know, if there is a problem, with us I mean, I can talk to Potts, and have us transferred...' Justin Suggested.

'No, no it's alright. It was just a bit of a shock. It's hard enough being the only Squib in a pureblood family, all that magic going on with no way of joining in. That's why I enjoyed coming to school, being able to get away from all that...'

Alex trailed off, distracted by a nagging thought.

'Wait a second... Why aren't you guys at Hogwarts? Tess said that the school term began last week!'

'What do you know of you-know-who?' Justin asked cautiously.

'Enough' Alex replied. Then the answer dawned on him. 'Oh, I see. Are you half, or Muggle born?'

'Muggle' said Justin and 'Half on my mothers side' for Barron.

'I see... Well, I think-' started Alex, but never would the others find out what he thought, for a deep bell tolled somewhere in the distance.

'What was that?' a panicked Barron asked his fingers in his ears.'That was awful!'

Alex chuckled. 'That's just the period bell. You had better get used to it- it tolls ten or eleven times a day.'

Barron groaned and threw himself onto his bed.

'What are you doing? That bell was for the start of year assembly. We had better head off if we want a good seat.'

With that, the trio shuffled out of the dorm, into the common room, through two corridors and a court yard and up two, unmoving, flights if stairs. The finally reached a set of large, mahogany doors, carved with trees and fruit and small wooden animals.

'Its beautiful.' said Justin. 'It is pretty cool.' admitted Barron.

'Just wait till you get inside.'

As the boys entered the hall, they let out a gasp of amazement: Above them, on the roof, was the most amazing mural they had ever seen. There was the night sky, with each star represented by a small piece of glittering glass. Swirling in the center of the roof was the most fearsome Phoenix they had ever seen. His glittering, flamed wings were accented with red mirror tiles and yellow glass. In its eye, sat the biggest fire opal the boys had ever seen, and its brightness seemed to give the magnificent beast the appearance of not only life, but intelligence. Justin's eyes trailed to the edges of the room, where he noticed the large, engraved pillars that sprung from the ground. Each was carved with the image of a tree. Justin could see a Maple, a Willow Tree, and cherry blossom.

'What did I tell you? It's amazing. I know what the great hall looks like- I've read about it- but I can't imagine it being any more magical than this.' Alex said, looking up in awe.

'It's amazing!' beamed Justin.

'Um, should we get seats?' asked Barron, noticing the other grey-clad students taking seats in the large wooden pews in two rows down the room.

'That would probably be best. Here, let's go sit with my mate, Gus. He's just over there.' Alex pointed towards a plain boy across the room.

'Oi! Gus!' Alex called across the room.

The boys went to join Gus. Gus Watson was one of those students that constantly flew under the radar. He had average grades, average sporting and cooking skills, and average looks. His sandy hair always seemed to hang in his face, obscuring his deep brown eyes. The only remarkable feature about Gus was his side-burns. No other student- or teacher for that matter- had ever seen as impressive a side burn than the ones that adorned Gus' face.

'Hey Alex. What's up? Why did you move dorm rooms? Was it because of Felix's snoring?' Gus asked in quick succession. 'No, though I can say I am glad to be rid of his nocturnal noises. Nah, Potts moved me to help the new kids settle in. They are a friend of a friend's. They went to school with my cousins, and Tess. This is Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Barron...Um, Barron.'

'Boyd.' Barron said, shaking hands with Gus.

'Nice to meet you two.'

Before the conversation could proceed, twelve pairs of teachers walked down the isle to the chairs down the front of the room. All the students took their seats. An elderly man stood at the podium, his long, Ginger beard, resting on his notes. He cleared his throat and began.

'Welcome, ladies and Gentlemen to another year at Wulfric.' there was a smattering of applause.

'Yes, yes. Now, for those mandatory boring announcements. First years should-'

'That is Professor Palmer. He's a great guy; just don't get on his bad side: he is rather fond of the ruler.' chuckled Alex, rubbing a red mark on the back of his left hand.

'- And remember to sign up for your elective subjects by the end of his week. Now-'

Suddenly, the hall doors burst open, and a girl came running down the isle. She came to an abrupt halt, curtsied and turned to sit next to Justin.

'Thank you for that spectacular entrance, Miss. Rose. You will be seeing me after the assembly I trust? Now, onto uniform code...'

Professor Palmer droned on, and Justin snuck a glance at the girl beside him.

She had reddy-brown hair that lay in a single play down her back. The plat was entwined with blue and gray ribbons, and her hair was tied off with a flowered tie. She turned to look at Justin, and then quickly looked away. Justin found her gray eyes unnerving. He looked at her again, and found that she was scribbling on a scrap of paper. She then scrunched it up, and dropped it on Justin's lap, all the while with her eyes on Palmer at the front of the hall. Slightly confused, Justin picked up the paper.

It read:

'My name is Jodi. That's my seat. I'll forgive you for sitting there if you will be my friend.'

Justin looked over to Jodi, confused. Was she serious? She stared at the front of the room, and a smile tugged on her lips.

_'What's the worst that can happen?_' Justin thought, scrawling the words 'Sure' on the paper and dropping it into Jodi's lap.

Without looking down, she picked up the scrap, turned it over, and ran her fingers over the indentations Justin's writing had made. She scrunched up her brow in concentration. Finally satisfied with what she had read- or rather felt- she smiled.

'_What an odd girl._' Justin thought to himself.

At the start of the assembly, Barron had placed himself between Gus and a girl from the year below.

That was his first mistake.

Barron's second mistake was to smile at her in a friendly manner. The girl, for some reason, decided that Barron was interested in her, and spent the entire assembly knocking her knees against his, and 'accidentally' brushing hands.

'That will be all for now, ladies and Gentlemen. You are dismissed. As always, you have two days before classes start so you may become re-acquainted with the students and the grounds. Off with you then!'

At that, Barron sprung up and sprinted out of the room, the girl's mouth opened in shock.

Justin chucked. He turned to talk to Jodi, only to discover that she too had disappeared.

Shrugging, Justin stood up and went to join Alex and Gus at the side of the hall.

'Man, that Duke kid can run!' laughed Gus, 'he should join the athletics team, and we can have fifth years chasing him!' 'And did you see the look on Ashley's face when Barron ran out? I swear she was about to blow a gasket!' Alex added. 'That's what it's always been like with Barron. The girls all have eyes for him, but he only has eyes for Miss Kim.' Justin chuckled.

'Speaking of the girls, how are things looking with Tess?' Gus asked Alex.

'Pretty good. Her school got a new, seriously strict headmaster, and they don't take letters anymore, and you know they don't have a phone, so the next time I'll see her will be Christmas. We will have been together three months then. Anyway, how about you and Mick?' Alex asked.

Gus shrugged. 'They are quite swell. Mick and I are going out this Saturday to see a film. I'm really excited. What about you Justin? Do you have any one waiting for you back home?'

Justin blushed 'Um, yeah. I know there is some unwritten rule against this sort of thing, but she's my friend's sister. She's the year below.'

The boys started to file out of the hall, and headed towards the courtyard, where they found Barron up a tree.

'Are they gone?' he called down, shaken.

'Who? Ruby? The girl who sat next to you? Just come down.' Alex called up the tree.

Barron looked suspiciously around the courtyard before swinging down the tree and landing next to Gus.

'No. There were three of them. Identical Triplets, would you believe. It was awful. As you saw, they literally chased me up a tree.'

The boys laughed.

'I guess I should apologize on my sisters' behalves. Sarah, Sally and Sue CAN be a bit intense sometimes.' Gus chuckled. The boys flopped down on the grass under the tree that Barron had previously occupied.

'So, Justin, you rebel. Going after a mate's sister...'

'If any of you try anything with the 'Trips', I will thump you.' Gus interrupted, his eyes narrowing at Barron.

'He knows, and he's fine with it. Ernie's cool.' Said Justin, hurriedly. 'Earn? As in Macmillan? I didn't realize he had a sister.' remarked Barron.

'So, what's she like? How long have you been together?' said a voice from behind them.

Jodi came and plopped herself beside Justin on the grass.

'Gosh, you guys sound like a bunch of first year girls.' she giggled

'Hi Jodi. Barron, this is my, um, new friend Jodi.'

'And don't you forget it!' piped in Jodi, shaking Barron's hand.

'So, what's she like?'

'Theresa? She's a gem. We haven't actually gone out yet. I was planning on asking her during the first match of the season.' Justin said, suddenly embarrassed under Jodi's gray gaze.

'Ooh! What team?' Jodi asked.

Alex turned white.

'Macmillan? Isn't that Tess' name?' Gus asked.

Alex then went and turned red.

'Ooooh! Alex is turning into a tomato!' Jodi squealed.

'What?' Justin asked, becoming self conscious.

'Theresa, Theresa Macmillan is my Tess. You are going to back off. I don't care what her brother says, or if you have been given 'permission' to be with her. As if you don't have enough already.' Alex said in a low dangerous voice. The five sat in shocked silence.

'Oh.' was all Justin could manage to say to begin with.

He then managed an 'I see.'

'Well, this is awkward.' cried Jodi gleefully.

She stood up. 'My dear new friends, Gus and Barron. Would you two care to take a turn around the courtyard with me?'

'I think that would be a good idea.' said Gus at the same time Barron said 'Heck yes.'

Jodi held out her hands, offering to pull them up off the ground.

When they were quite a bit away, they sat on a bench and watched Alex and Justin. The two boys sat facing each other on the grass. Alex ran his hand through his hair and Justin picked at the grass. They spoke quietly, and never made eye contact. Justin stood up, then Alex followed suit. Justin held out his hand, Alex took it and shook it. The boys embraced awkwardly, and gestured to the silent onlookers to join them. 'Well, that wasn't nearly as interesting as I was hoping.' comment Jodi excitedly. Gus breathed out a sigh of relief and tugged on his facial hair. Barron jumped up and made his way over to Justin and Alex.

'All sorted? Sweet. Now, is there a way back to the dorm that doesn't go past the girl' bathroom? I would rather not be accosted on my way to the dorm.'


	7. Chapter 7: The Intruder

**Chapter Seven**

'Someone is opening the door.'

That was the first thought that went through Justin's head the next morning.

The second was: 'There is someone sitting on my feet.'

Startled, he sat up. Sitting at the foot of his bed, reading a book, was Jodi.

'What- How? How did you get in here?' Justin demanded, pulling up his sheet to cover his bare chest.

'It was quite easy really,' Jodi replied, not taking her eyes off the book. She held up a set of keys with her other hand in answer.

'It really is quite handy to have your parents working at the school. I just nicked them off mother's desk. She doesn't mind, at least she's never said anything about it before.'

She looked up at him, her grey eyes as unnerving as ever.

'Odd book, this.' Justin looked at the spine, and panicked.

There, on the spine, were the words 'Advanced Herbology'.

'Ummm...' Justin's mind went blank. How was he going to explain it? How could he have been so stupid? How did she even find it?

'Why don't you get up? We have a big day planned.'

Justin was momentarily stunned by the change of topic.

'Yeah... Wait. We do?' She nodded eagerly.

'Mmhmmm. You, Duke, Ally, Gussy and I are going into town.' she poked him in the stomach.

'Go on, get dressed. I'll wake the others up.'

He nodded dumbly.

Barron snorted from across the room, still asleep.

Justin got out of bed and went to get some clothes from his drawer.

'Um, where exactly are we going?' he asked. 'I told you, Town. Now hurry up and get dressed.'

She stood up and approached the still sleeping Alex.

It was then that Justin noticed what Jodi was wearing: gumboots, tights and a summer dress with a cardigan. Her hair was in a series of plats and twists, incorporated with flowers and ribbons. Justin chuckled. What a strange person Jodi was. She was sweet though. He reminded her a bit of Luna Lovegood. He took a t-shirt and jeans and went to the bathroom.

'Luna Lovegood, I wonder what she is up to these days?'

Thinking of Luna brought back memories of the events of yesterday, predominantly, his conversation with Alex. While he _was_ upset about the whole situation, he knew the right thing to do was to back off. She had chosen Alex; it was as simple as that. Justin felt he couldn't begrudge him that. He already felt guilty that Alex was a squib. He knew it was ridiculous, but he felt as if, as a Muggleborn, he had unfairly taken Alex's powers. Justin shook his head, clearing his mind, and got changed.

A yell (and several bad words) from the room confirmed that, at least, Barron was awake.

Justin re-entered his dorm room to find it in chaos: Barron was sitting on top of one of the sets of drawers, his eyes wide in shock, Alex lay half asleep and under his bed and Jodi was rifling through Barron's bottom draw, flinging clothes left, right and center.

'What in the name of Merlin's beard are you three doing?' Justin demanded. Barron looked sheepishly down from his perch.

'Sorry buddy. It was an automatic reaction to finding a girl in my room. It was a strategy I perfected after the fourth years figured out how to make it into the boy's dorm.'

'Alright, fine. That makes sense, sort of... Alex, what are you doing down there?'

A muffled reply came from beneath the bed.

'What?'

'He said that he doesn't know.' supplied Barron.

Justin shook his head, not knowing what to make of the situation.

He turned to leave the room, only to be hit in the back of the head by something soft. Justin turned to see Jodi, smiling like a maniac.

'Go on! Put it on.' she cried. Justin stooped to pick up what had hit him. It was his Hufflepuff scarf.

'I-I can't. Where did you even find this?' Justin walked over to his bed and shoved it under his pillow. He knew his face had turned red, and his fists were clenched.

'It... It was just in your drawer. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad.' Justin looked up at her, his face softening.

'Sorry Jodi. I didn't mean to snap at you. I don't think yellow is my colour. How about this one?' he said, pulling out a black and white striped scarf. 'My grandmother made it for me.'

He looked back at Jodi. She was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

'Okey Dokey! Shall we go and get Gussy?' she asked eagerly.

'Um, sure. Let's give Barron and Alex a chance to get ready. Would you care to lead the way?'

Justin offered her his arm. She took it and the two left. They walked in silence down the hall.

Upon reaching Gus' dorm, Jodie spoke up: 'What's a Hufflepuff?'

Justin looked into her eyes and said, in all honesty, 'I have absolutely no idea.'

He knocked on the door. Minutes passes, with no stir from the other side. He raised his fist to knock again, but Jodi put her hand out to stop him. Reaching into her pocket, she once again pulled out the keys.

'Don't you think this will be much more fun?' she asked, a wicked glint in her eyes.

Before Justin could answer, there was a noise on the other side of the door. He rapped on the door once again. A muffled reply came from the other side. Seconds later, Gus was standing before them, wearing nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms, decorated with little dogs. He nodded in acknowledgement to Justin, but his eyes grew wide noticing Jodi beside him. He slammed the door. There were frenzied noises on the other side.

Jodi giggled, thoroughly enjoying the experience. Gus opened the door again, this time fully dressed.

'How did you even get up here?' he asked Jodi. There were strict rules about that kind of thing at Wulfric Rose. Boys were to stay in the Boy's dorm, and Girl's in the Girl's. If she were caught, they would all have been in serious trouble. 'My mother's the English literature teacher, remember?' she once again jangled the keys.

'Ok, but why are you guys here? It's so early, and on a Saturday too!'

'Isn't it obvious?' Jodi enquired. 'Not really.' 'Oh. Well, you, The Duke, Ally, Justin and I are going to Clearbrooke.'

Jodi answered gleefully.

'Wow. Clearbrooke? Isn't that four hours away?'

She nodded eagerly. 'Yep! That's why we are leaving now!'

They had made it back to Justin's dorm.

Gus pulled at his side burns. 'If it's all the same to you, I think I would like to stay back. I have a date with Mick tonight. I'll be late to it if I go with you.'

Jodi looked straight at him and spoke slowly. 'Well then, Gussy, why don't you bring Mick along? In fact, I'll do it. I'll be back in a minute.'

Before ether of them could protest, she had slipped away, the keys jangling in her pocket.

'She's quite... Lively, isn't she?' Gus started.

'Quite.' chuckled Justin.

They made their way into the room. Barron had descended from his perch, and was now tying his shoes. Alex was no where to be seen, so he must have been in the bathroom.

Eventually, Alex emerged wearing a deep green knitted jumper with an 'A' on it.

Justin and Barron burst into laughter, remembering how much Ron hated his own.

'Who made that then? Was it Mrs. Weasley? You should have seen some of the things Ron used to get around in!' laughed Barron.

Alex smiled good naturedly.

'Actually, yes, she did. When I was little, I made the mistake of being jealous of the twin's matching sweaters...' he shrugged.

Just then, there was the sound of keys in a lock, and Jodi came bounding in.

'Hey Ally! Nice sweater! Mick will be here in a minute.'

Barron finished tying his shoes, and Jodi insisted on brushing Gus' side burns.

There was a knock at the door, and Justin went to answer it. Standing in there, there was a girl. She had deep black hair in ringlets to her shoulders, and small, black eyes. Her skin was pale, not a freckle in site. She wore a simple black woolen dress and red boots that looked quite plain next to Jodi's floral ones. The girl arched a pierced eyebrow.

'Can I come in?' she asked in a thick American Accent. Her voice was low, but kind. Justin nodded and stepped aside. 'Morning Beautiful.' she strode over to Gus and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Justin was still too shocked to speak: Not only was Mick a girl, she was a beautiful girl!

'Oh goodie! Now everyone's here, let's get going. We need to sign out at the top office now, 'coz Frankie will be on duty, and won't ask questions. Shall we?'

She offered Justin her arm, the way he had moments before. He hesitated, then took it, and she lead the way to the office, then the train station.


	8. Chapter 8: The First Journey

**Chapter Eight**

'We have been walking for ages...' Barron moaned.

'We have not! We're only at the end of the drive! It's still two miles to get to the station. If you are going to be like that, well, you can go home!' Jodi said in a very maternal manner.

Barron 'Humph'ed, but didn't complain again.

'Jodi, sweetie, why can't we get a cab?' Mick inquired, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.

Jodi stopped. 'Oh. I didn't think of that. It's too early for that way, and it's not too Far.' she started walking again. 'What time is it anyway?' Alex yawned, he checked his watch, and his eyes just about popped out of his head.

'It's 5:30! I've never been up this early in my life!'

They all laughed. The six trudged the three miles to the train station, and lined up for a ticket. Barron and Justin had a few difficulties re adjusting to the Muggle money, and Barron accidentally handed over a Knut. Through the turnstile they went, one after the other, and found themselves on a small train platform. Mick dragged Jodi to the ladies, Gus went to go and grab some food from the vendor for everyone's breakfast, while Alex dozed off.

'Not quite 'nine-point-seven-fie but its ok I guess.' Barron comment.

Ever since his first year, Barron had wanted to introduce 'nine-point-seven-five' as the 'hip' new name for platform 9 3/4. This never caught on, and caused confusion whenever he mentioned it. Justin, having always been good at mathematics, worked out what he was talking about.

'I suppose so. It's kind of sad, isn't it? We are never going to be there again. I mean, we might be able to wave out kids off in 16 years or so if Harry manages to sort things out...' The boys sat in a moment of silence, and Justin scratched his chin. He winced as he realized, in all the excitement of the morning, he had forgotten to shave.

'My, don't you look rugged this morning, Justin?' Jodi giggled from behind them. Justin shrugged, embarrassed, while Barron laughed.

'So where did you say we're going?' Alex asked, his eyes still closed.

'I don't believe I told you. We're going to Clearbrooke. It's a quaint little town about four hours from here. It's wonderful! There are some tea rooms, a great shopping town, three little bakeries, one of them has the best little cupcakes, there is a tattoo parlour, and a little historical society with some awesome old books and clothes.' she beamed at them, and Gus returned with some berry muffins.

Justin opened his mouth to speak, but his words were drowned out by the rapidly approaching train. They filed into the train and took their seats in pairs: Gus was, of course, with Mick, and Justin, still wishing to steer clear of Alex, sat on a window seat, and was shortly joined, not by Barron as he expected, but Jodi. That left Alex with Barron, which suited them both fine, as they both planned on catching up on lost sleep.

'Four hours with Jodi,' Justin thought, 'this should be interesting.'

'Um, so what exactly is on the agenda for today?' Justin ventured. 'I already told you! The tea rooms, then the shopping town, then the bakeries and the cup cake store, then the tattoo parlour and finishing with the historical society.' she smiled at him.

'Sounds like fu- wait. Did you say tattoo parlour? Whatever for?'

'To get a tattoo, silly! Why else would we go there?'

'Wow. Ummm... What are you getting done?' he asked to his horror, she pulled out his copy of 'Advanced Herbology' 'Well, when I was reading your book this morning, I came across a curious plant. Here it is. Isn't it beautiful?'

Justin looked to where she was pointing. The bloom was of a deep blue, with silver flecks shooting through it. The petals were a mixture of sharp and soft edges. Justin instantly recognized the flower. It was the same flower that his mother adored.

'A Sapphire Moon gazer' he said. Jodi nodded eagerly.

'It says that they only grow in enchanted forests. What a curious thing to say. But, oh! Isn't it just beautiful?' Justin couldn't deny its beauty, as he had seen several himself. Jim often presented them to his mother.

'Where are you going to get it done?' he asked.

'I haven't quite decided. I want it to go somewhere I can see it. I'm thinking here, so I can still cover it up.' she rubbed her inner arm.

'Are you sure? I mean, you aren't old enough yet, are you? And you will get in trouble...' Jodi laughed.

'Oh, Justin! Don't be silly!'

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Justin and Jodi told stories and played Tic-Tac-Toe, Alex and Barron slept, and Gus and Mick snogged. After four and a half hours, they reached the Clearbrooke station. Glad to stretch their legs, they got up and walked onto the platform.

'Where to?' asked Alex.

'First stop: The Tea rooms!' Jodi directed the troupe to a small Elizabethan cottage across the village green. Barron, ever the gentlemen, held the heavy green door open for the others to enter. The interior was inviting and cosy: a fire crackled in the corner, along the back wall was a display case filled with treats, and a large selection of teas. Dotted throughout the room were heavy tartan sofas and chairs. A bell chimed as the door swung closed, and a short, plum women appeared behind the counter. Her silvery hair was tied in a bun, and her apron pockets were stuffed with slips of paper and keys. She broke into a smile.

'Jodi, my child, how good it is to see you!' she spoke in a soft French accent.

'And I see you brought some friends! Come over and introduce them to me.'

Jodie bounded across the room, and pecked the woman on the cheek.

'Aunt Georgiana! It is good to see each other, isn't it? Auntie, these are my new friends; this is Michaela, and this is Alexander, and Gus, and this is Barron. Oh! And Justin! He was my first friend. Justin, Duke, Ally, Gussy, Mick, this is Lady Georgiana De La Rue, my great Aunt.'

'Oh, darling heart, it's good to see you spending time with people your own age.' the two beamed at each other.

Justin was confused. Was he really Jodi's first friend? She was such a sweet and genuine person, how could anyone not like her? Sure, she could be a bit, well, kooky at times, but that was just part of her charm.

'Now, I'll set you kids up at the good table.' she began.

'Thank you Lady De La Rue.' Mick replied.

'Oh, I'll have none of that 'Lady De La Rue business. You can all call me Auntie George.'

'Ok...Auntie George' smiled Mick.

'Much better! Now, what can I do you for?' so the troupe ordered their various treats and teas, and ate them by the fire. They chatted the whole time, sharing stories and jokes. While he was enjoying himself, Barron hated having to lie to the others. It was nearly two hours before they made moves to leave. When they went to pay, Auntie George just waved them off, claiming she 'doesn't charge family.' So they left an extremely heavy tip in her jar, and headed off to Jodi's next stop: the shopping town.

Since receiving his letter at ten and a half, Justin had spent as much time as possible in the wizarding world: he nearly ventured out to the shops during the summer break, preferring to spend his time writing letters and staying with Ernie or Hannah. So it was safe to say that shopping in a Muggle store was a skill he had lost. Mick dragged them into a small, cheap jewellery store, harping on about a new charm or pendant. It was strange to see jewellery that was just used for decoration. There were no charmed charms that warded off bad breath, no necklaces that improved eye sight, and no rings that might hold onto your finger forever. They next visited a second- hand book store. Justin thought back to his third year, where his book had to be kept in a cage to stop it from attacking.

The only cage in this bookshop held a small canary, who whistled away while they browsed the shelves.

The six all split off in different directions: Jodi went to the children's books, Barron to the old magazines, Mick headed to teen fiction and romance, Alex to pet care, and Gus went to the Mystery and Crime shelf. Justin was left standing by himself.

Aside from his school texts, he had never been a big reader. He didn't even know what genres he liked. He was about to join Jodi at the children's books, when a sign caught his eye.

'Witchcraft' He checked to see if any of the others were watching, and made his way over, eager to see what the shelf held. He scanned his fingers over the spines, not looking for anything in particular, yet he found he was disappointed to see they were all on Muggle witchcraft. He sighed and went to sit with Jodi, who was sitting on a large, very pink mushroom, with a book open on her lap. He sat on an adjacent mushroom, and asked her what she was reading. She silently lifted the book off her lap to show him the cover.

'Grimm's Fairy Tales'. The Grimm brothers were famous in both the Magical and Muggle world. They were considered some of the best Aurors in the land during their time, and wrote up a book on their exploits. The Muggles just knew them as children's writers, much like Beedle the Bard. Justin picked up a book from the shelf and flicked through it. It was a book on 'Giants, Elves, trolls and other magical creatures.' Justin read through it, bemused. 'My, the Muggles are a creative lot.'

Barron, Alex and Gus wandered over, all with a book (or, in Barron's case, a comic) in their hands. Mick made her way over too, with five books stacked in her arms. Jodi stood up and tucked her book under her arm.

'You aren't getting anything, Justin?' asked Mick from behind her stack.

'Um, no. I'm not a big reader, so I didn't know what to get.' he replied, oddly embarrassed.

Gus strode over to the mystery section, and pulled out a thin book with a faded pink spine and handed it to him.

'Get that one. It was the book that made me want to be a detective.'

He looked at the cover. There were three teenage boys standing on a South American pyramid, and one of them seemed to have tripped. Above their heads was the title: 'Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Aztec Warrior by Franklin W. Dixon'

'Sure...' said Justin, a little unsure.

'Okey Dokie! Let's go pay.' said Jodi. After the bookstore, they made several uneventful stops.

As they were leaving the shopping town, Jodi stopped in her tracks. She turned and fled, calling behind her that she would

'Catch up with them in a minute,' and to 'go on without her.'

They continued on to the ice cream parlour that Jodi had pointed out earlier, and went in.

The air smelt of chocolate and butterscotch. The boys went up to the counter and pressed their noses against the glass, peering in at the thirty different flavours.

'Benny's Banana, Sally's Strawberry, Cameron's chocolate... What strange names.' Mick remarked from behind them. Being lactose intolerant, she wasn't nearly as excited as the boys.

'Indeed they are.' said a voice from behind the counter. 'We named them after each student at the local school.'

The man looked out of place in the parlour. He looked more suited to be a farm hand with his worn hat and working overalls. He smiled kindly at them.

'What can I do you for?' he asked kindly.

'Can I please have a- no, I'll have a- wait!' Barron began.

'Right. Well, I guess I had better have the 'Alex Apple', hadn't I?' laughed Alex.

'I'll have the 'Jelly-Bean Justin'' Justin chuckled.

'Can I please have some of the 'Cherry Chloe'?' asked Gus.

Barron still couldn't decide.

'And what can I do for you, young lady?' he asked Mick.

'Oh, I can't have ice-cream. Thank you anyway.'

'Lactose?' he guessed. Mick nodded.

'So is young Morgan.' he indicated to a batch labelled' Milk-less Morgan'

'It's a berry sorbet. Go on, give it a go.'

'Oh all right!' Mick smiled. It was hard not to like this strange man.

'Oh! I can't choose!' moaned Barron.

'Surprise him!' said Justin, laughing.

'Alrighty. Turn around then.' he ordered.

Barron faced the back of the store.

The man scooped a cone from an unmarked tub, and handed it to Barron.

'That's amazing!' he said, the ice cream still smeared around his mouth, 'What is it?' The man laughed.

'You've never has boysenberry before? It hasn't got a name yet. We ran out students. Say, your name wouldn't happen to start with a 'B' would it?'

They all laughed.

'It would actually- B-arron B-oyd!' he laughed.

'Perfect!' the man cried attaching a label reading 'Barron Boyd-enberry' this caused a new round of laughter, and Barron ordered another cone.

'Now, what about Jodi? Should we get her the 'Fruity Fae'?' Justin asked.

'Jodi? You lot are here with Miss Rose? Why didn't you say so? No, Fae won't do at all. I'll get her usual.' He scooped some ice cream from a tub labelled 'Jodi's Jumble'.

'What flavour is that?' Alex asked, shocked by the odd grey colour.

'Exactly what it says- a jumble. It's a little bit of everything.'

'Is that for me?' Jodi asked, bounding into the store, a new bag swinging from her arm.

'It is indeed Miss Rose, indeed it is.' The man laughed.

'Mmhmmm... It's perfect! 'How much do we owe you?' Gus asked.

'Owe me? Nothing! If anything, I owe you! You named my unnameable flavour, and brought Miss Rose to come see me!' They argued with him, but he wouldn't budge. As they left, Justin managed to drop some coins under one of the tables set up at the back of the room.

'Jodi, where did you go?' asked Mick, indicating to the her new paper bag. She didn't answer. Instead, she asked her own question:

'Justin, can I borrow your scarf?'

'Um sure.' He said, taking it off and handing it to her.

She put it on, and reached into her bag, and pulled out another scarf.

It was yellow and black checked with tassels.

'Here, I bought this one for you. I think yellow is your colour.'

He was stunned.

'Jodi, you shouldn't be buying stuff for me! Thank you, but you shouldn't have.'

'Nonsense. Friends buy each other presents. You bought us ice-cream, so I bought you a scarf. No buts. You wouldn't wear your yellow one, so I bought you one.'

Justin knew better than to argue, and put it on. She smiled at him.

'Where to now, Jojo?' asked Mick.

'The Cupcake and Tattoo shop.'

'They do both?' asked Alex confused.

'Yup! And I am getting both.' declared Jodi.

The others looked at each other in alarm, but didn't say anything.

The store they entered looked like another, but at the back, there was a curtained off area. Barron once again pressed his nose against the glass container holding the decorated cakes.

'I have never seen more delicious art in my life.' he breathed.

'I'm glad you think so!' said a chirpy voice from behind the counter. He looked up.

There stood a girl in an apron with cats all over it. She had short, bobbed hair, and flour smudged over her nose. Her brown eyes were sparkling with laughter.

'You did these? They're amazing!' The cakes truly were amazing. Some were decorated with flowers and animals, but others were far more interesting. Barron pointed to a cake with an intricate farm scene painted on it.

'How long did it take you to paint that?' he asked.

'Ah, that one took four hours. I personally think it's the best I have ever done.' she smiled proudly down at the cake. 'Only four hours? That is... Amazing. Why did you paint that on a cake and not a canvas? Don't get me wrong- I think this is awesome. Who doesn't like edible art?' She laughed at this.

'I don't know. I did try painting a canvas once, but it wasn't as much fun. With the cake, you know you can eat it later- sort of like a reward. I'm Peta by the way.' she held out her hand.

'Barron.' he said shaking her hand.

'Funny,' he thought, 'she doesn't look any older than me, and she's running a cupcake store.' Peta looked over Barron's shoulder and saw Jodi.

'Hey Jodi. Kit's out back. Just head through when you're ready. Have you decided?' she asked.

Jodi nodded. 'I'm getting it done today, too.'

'Well, good luck. You're a braver soul than I am.' Peta laughed.

Jodi turned to Justin. 'Will you come with me? They only let two people in at once, and- and I'm kind of scared.'

Justin looked down at her, and saw her grey eyes were wide with fear. He nodded. Jodi turned to the others.

'Um, I'm going in. Wish me luck.'

'Good luck!' said Gus, 'I hope it doesn't hurt' from Alex.

'Next time, I'll get one too.' said Mick, getting a shocked look from Gus.

Barron was deep in conversation with Peta.

Jodi took Justin's hand, and he realized she was trembling.

Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, he said 'You don't have to do this. Are you sure you want to?'

She nodded seriously. They passed through the curtain. The walls on the other side were plastered with tattoo designs. In the middle of the room, there was a chair, similar to a dentist's chair. A young man sat at a desk in the corner of the room. He looked up from his newspaper and smiled at the two of them.

'Jodi! Have you made a decision? And you brought a friend!' Jodi nodded nervously.

The man didn't look like a tattoo artist. At least, not like any Justin ha ever seen. He wore a business suit and tie, with a flower in the lapel. His blonde hair was cut short, and his brown eyes magnified by his glasses.

'Now Jodi,' he began, suddenly serous, 'I know your mother is ok with this, or at least says she is, but are you sure. What we are doing will last forever. I know you have been seeing me every week for a few months, but I want you to be sure. 100% positive. Jodi, I don't want to be the one leaving a permanent mark on you.'

Jodi nodded decisively.

'Yes. Ross, I am sure. I've been thinking about it for a few years. I know what I want now. Thank you for worrying, but don't.'

Still holding Justin's hand, she pulled out his Herbology book and flipped to the right page. Ross was impressed.

'That's beautiful. Now that I've seen it, I can't imagine you having anything else.' he drew up some sketches of the flower, each more beautiful than the last. Sitting at the desk, Ross and Jodi discussed possibilities.

Justin thought about what Ross had said about it being permanent. It wasn't really. There was a spell, he knew, that was used to remove any unwanted body art. He had seen it used by Umbridge on a sixth year. It was painless, but caused quite a smell. If Jodi was really desperate, he could always ask someone to clear away her tattoo for him. He was sure Ernie would do it.

If that were the case, why shouldn't he get one too? He knew straight away what he would get, that part was easy. He had the money too. He spoke up.

'Can I get something done too?' They looked up at him. Jodi smiled, but Ross looked panicked.

'Um, are you old enough? I will need either parental permission or proof of age. Can you manage either of those?' Justin thought for a moment.

'Can permission be given over the phone?'

'Unfortunately no. I need to speak to them myself.' He thought again.

'Can I use a phone? My step- father can be here in ten minutes, if I can get hold of him.'

Ross nodded and directed him back to the front of the store. He passed through the curtain.

Sitting at one of the tables were Gus and Mick, which was unsurprising.

What was surprising, though was seeing Barron and Peta sharing a cup cake.

Alex sat by himself, looking understandably embarrassed. They all looked over to him.

'Um, Peta, can I use the store's phone?' he asked.

'Sure thing, it's under the counter.' she replied.

Justin felt bad.

Not only for lying to Ross about his 'Step-father' (which would have been true in a few months anyway) but for dragging Jim away from whatever business he was doing. He dialled Jim's mobile number, and he picked up on the second ring. 'Justin! It's good to hear from you! How are things?' he asked cheerfully.

'Um, fine I suppose.'

'Good, good.'

'Um, Jim, are you busy at the moment?'

'I can't say I am. What's up?'

'Are you able to visit me? I need parental consent to get a tattoo. I figured that maybe you could apperate here to give permission. I know what I want, and...'

Justin looked over his shoulder to see that no one else was listening.

' And I know you know a spell that can remove them, if I ever want it done...' he trailed off.

There was no reply.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. You're busy. Tha-'

Jim laughed. 'Is that all? I figured that you had gotten into trouble at school and didn't want Aggie finding out. You know, I got one done at your age. Now, where are you?'

Grateful, Justin gave him directions. He went back behind the curtain to wait with Jodi.

'Jim's on his way.' he told Ross. Exactly eight minutes later, there was a loud bang down the street. Exactly three minutes after that, Jim entered the store, and was directed to the back room.

'Jim! Thanks for coming!' Justin stood up to greet Jim.

'No worries. Now. What do I have to do to give my permission?' After filling out some paperwork and flashing his I.D, Jim left with another bang, and Jodi sat in 'the chair'. She was nervous. Justin could feel her hand trembling in his. He tried to calm her, but he was just as nervous as she.

'Now, Jodi. I'm not going to lie- this will hurt. A lot. I'm going to give you a ice lolly to bite down on, ok? And just hold Justin's hand, squeeze it if you need to. Are you ready?'

The machine buzzed on, Ross' brow furrowed in concentration.

Justin's hand went numb, and a single tear slid down Jodi's cheek. After two hours, it was done.

Ross gave Jodi some pain killers and instructions on how to care for it. She looked down at her forearm. You couldn't see it now, but it was going to be beautiful. Next, it was Justin's turn.

'Now, what exactly is it you want?' Ross asked. Justin smiled.

'Just two letters. 'D' and 'A'. 'D' as in 'dog'. 'A' as in 'amazing'.

'Any font in mind?'

'No, just your hand- writing.' Ross raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

'Jodi,' said Justin, 'Can you please hold my hand? I'm actually kind of scared.'

On the other side of the curtain, Alex was getting restless. He was sick of watching Gus and Mick sharing a milkshake. He was sick of watching Barron and Peta share cake after cake. He stood up.

'I'm going for a walk.' No one looked up.

He walked down the street, looking for something to do. Eventually, he gave up, flopped down under a tree on the green, and pulled out his new book.

'Unusual Pets by G. Bluewell' He flicked through the pages, largely unimpressed.

Lions, Monkeys, Badgers... They had nothing on what he had heard about Hagrid. A dragon? THAT was an unusual pet. He opened it up to read about a woman who had a pet skunk, when a letter landed in-between the pages.

He looked up, and above him was a familiar silvery owl. He called it down and scratched behind its ears.

'Hello Sylvia. What are you doing all the way out here? Have you got a message from Tess for me? I have a few questions for her...'

Barron said a reluctant good bye to Peta, and the left the store. He had spent the last few hours sampling her goods, which were, in fact, quite good. They had chatted about every thing under the sun, and then some. Barron had to clamp his mouth shut when she showed him a very inactivate sketch she had drawn of a unicorn, but apart from that, talking with Peta was easy. She wasn't like most girls, but he liked her.

That thought struck Barron.

Did he like _like_ her?

He had swapped phone numbers with her before he left. She wasn't anything like Kim, but maybe that was a good thing... He looked over at Jodi and Justin. Both were clutching their wrists, and Jodi's eyes were red and puffy.

He couldn't believe what Justin had done- it wasn't something he expected the quiet Hufflepuff boy to do.

Yes, he knew there was a reversal spell, but still...

'So,' he said, slapping Justin on the back, 'what did you get?'

Justin showed him his swollen, bruised and slightly bloody wrist.

The letters were clearly visible. Barron nodded.

The DA, their attempt to ready the students for the imminent war.

'What does it mean anyway?' asked Gus, peering over.

'Um, it's the initials of a friend who died- Um,' Justin thought quickly.

'Dillon Allen' Prompted Barron.

'Um, yeah. Dillon.' said Justin quietly.

They walked back to the centre of the village, and fount Alex sill under his tree. Sylvia was long gone, and Alex had a smile on his face. Jodi was unusually quiet.

'Hey Jodi? Honey? What's next on the agenda?' Mick prompted.

'Hmm? Oh. Lunch I suppose.' the six had lunch, and headed back to the station for the long ride back.

The ride was quiet: Alex, Mick, Barron, Gus and Justin read their newly acquired books, while Jodi stared silently out the window.

Justin was really enjoying his book. He found it fascinating how the brothers managed to track down the bad guys without using any magic. He read page after page until they were all gone. He looked at his watch: two hours to go. He turned to Jodi, hoping to engage in some conversation.

'How's your wrist?' he asked.

Jodi looked up at him, the. Down to her covered wrist.

'It's not hurting so much now...' she trailed off.

'Do you regret it?' he asked.

'It's hard to say. I guess I never realized how permanent it would be.' she turned to look out the window again.

'Hey, Jodi...'

'Were you serious about me being your first friend?' he wanted to ask.

Instead he said 'I need to pick my electives. What are you in? Class would be much better if you were there. You are a lot of fun to be around.' he smiled, and she managed a weak smile back.

'Thank you. I'm in ecology, history and Mythological studies.'

'Perfect! Would you mind if I joined you in all of them?'

'Not at all, Justin. You're my best friend.'


	9. Chapter 9: History of the Rose

Chapter Nine:

The next week went on rather uneventfully. Barron started a music class, spending his afternoons jamming with Gus and his saxophone in the music rooms. Justin settled in well at the new school.  
As it happened, Ecology was very similar to Herbology and Mythological Studies to History of Magic. The only subject he really struggled with was 'History'. He was fine with that, though, because this was his only class with just him and Jodi. While she still had her moments, and he would always find her eyes unnerving, he found her company quite refreshing. They would sit at the back of the class, whispering behind their text books. On one particular Friday, the two were comparing the healing on their tattoos. While Jodi's was perfectly healed, and seemed to glow slightly, Justin's skin was still slightly blotchy. She ran her hand over his wrist.  
'DA…. Justin, you will tell me what it really stands for, one day, won't you?' she asked, her eyes sparkling.  
He nodded dumbly. He somehow knew he was able to trust her. She just seemed like a person who could handle it.  
'…and the Rose family crest can be seen on at least one wall in every room of the manor. In fact, you are all wearing it now!' their teacher cried excitedly.  
'Wait… Rose? As in you?' Justin asked stupidly.  
She giggled. 'Of course! WRG was an all-boys school, up until ten years ago. See, my great, great, great, great grandfather- or some other great guy, I don't really know- owned this place. When he died, his wife decided to turn it into a home for stray children. When world war two broke out, it was turned into a place for young boys to go to while their family went of to war, or something. Anyway, since then, it had always been a boy's school, and at least one Rose boy was in attendance. This became a sort of superstition thing. As long as there was a Rose boy at the school, we won all the competitions, and everything was fine. Actually, now that I think about it, it was in 1979 when there wasn't a Rose boy here. Apparently there were wicked storms and WR lost every single match they were in. It was crazy! Anyway, then I was born- yay! - And that was it. There were no more Rose boys. My mother was working at the school at that stage, and managed to persuade the board to let girls attend. The head at the time, Milligan, was a superstitious old sod, and he wanted a Rose in attendance, what ever it took. So old Willy Rose became a co-ed school, and that is the only reason I am here. I am the guard against all superstitious nonsense!' She grinned proudly at Justin, who couldn't help smiling himself.  
'Very Good, Miss Rose, and here I thought you weren't listening!' the teacher cried. 'More people should know their roots! Well done, well done. Shall I give you a merit? Yes, I think so…' he trailed off, then continued on his lecture, 'and then, three years ago…'  
'Merits?' Justin asked, confused.  
'Yeah, it's a reward system brought in last year- You get merits for good behavior, and demerits for bad behavior. Didn't you have anything like that at your old school?'  
'I told you, I was homeschooled.' He whispered frantically.  
'No you weren't.'  
'Fine. We had house points. It sort of worked the same way. The four houses competed for the house cup at the end of the terms.'  
'Oh! What houses were there? We have Myrddins, Pendragon, Avalon and Excalibur. I'm in Myrddins!'  
'I wonder where I will be sorted. What are their main values?' he asked earnestly.  
She looked confused.  
'Stand for? Like the mottos? I don't think we have any…'  
He cursed himself. Of course they wouldn't have values. That was a Hogwarts thing, and he was in the Muggle world now. He tried to clear himself carefully.  
'Well, at my old school, we had to take a kind of... test. This would determine what house you belonged to. One was full of brave people, one was for the real brainiacs, one full of really mean people, though they prefer the term 'cunning' and I was in the one dedicated to the loyal and hard workers!' he whispered proudly.  
Jodi studied him thoughtfully. 'Where would I belong?' she asked.  
Justin hesitated. She still reminded him of Luna in ways, but she was really brave too. She was one of the nicest people he had ever met, so she might have been a Hufflepuff. 'I think…' he began. 'I think you would have been tricky to place, though I would have to place you in Gryffindor- where the brave of heart dwell.'  
She smiled, not quite comprehending, but pleased all the same.

'Are you excited about this weekend?' she asked as they gathered their books to leave.  
'This weekend? What's happening?' he asked, confused.  
'Well, I figured that, since we all enjoyed last weekend so much, we should check out Grimm manor. It's just past Clearbrooke, and it is lovely.' her eyes took on a dreamy quality as she thought about the old manor house. While some found it creepy, and there were rumors that it was haunted, but Jodi found the halls oddly comforting.  
'Ah, all right. What time are we meeting?'  
And so plans were made for a day out, with a picnic at Grimm manor.

Once again, Jodi snuck into the boy's dorm, and scared the daylights out of Justin when he woke up (thankfully, he had worn a shirt this time!).  
Barron once again found himself on top of the cupboards, and Alex was found under his bed, half asleep.  
Gus and Mick arrived at the dorm not too much later, and they set out on this week's adventure.

Reply


	10. Chapter 10: Words in a Taxi

Chapter Ten:

As they approached Clearbrooke station, Barron stood, and made his way to the doors.  
'We're getting off at the next stop! I mean you can walk from here, if you really want, but we still have miles to go.' called Jodi, not looking up from her game of cards with Mick.  
'I know that. I'm picking up Peta. We were going to meet up this weekend anyway.'  
'You'll miss the train. There won't be another one through for an hour.' Gus warned.  
'I know. I'll pick her up, and we'll take a taxi to the manor.'  
'Well, alright then.'

Barron made his way from the station to the bakery and tattoo parlour.  
He had made plans with her last time he was here, and this unplanned picnic was perfect. He didn't want things to be too awkward. Though the others were a bit awkward in themselves.  
_Then again, who was the one who woke up on top of the cupboard_? he thought to himself.  
He whistled as he made it to the doors, and knocked three times. He really liked Peta. She was really nice, and loved food almost as much as he did.  
A pair of eyes peeped from behind the 'closed' sign. They lit up when they saw who was calling.  
Peta burst through the door, covered in flour. She was wearing a silver scarf and was carrying a wicker basket, covered with an orange blanket.  
After exchanging pleasantries, they set off to meet the taxi.  
'So... What have you got there?' Barron asked, gesturing towards her basket.  
'Oh! You said we were all going to go on a picnic, so I made a cake for everyone, and packed some sandwiches.' she beamed.  
Once in the Taxi, they continued talking.  
'So what about school? Where do you go?' Barron asked.  
Peta blushed. 'Actually, I don't go to school. I haven't for a while. I've been working for my brother Ross for a couple of years now. School... Just never set right with me. I'm dyslexic, so that didn't help, but I just found that baking and painting was more my thing than books.'  
Barron nodded thoughtfully. 'A tattoo and cupcake store. Interesting combination. I thought Jodi was pulling my leg where she told me where we were going.' he laughed.  
Peta bit her lip. 'Um, yeah, about Jodi... She's a lovely girl and all, but she... has problems. Has she told you about her father? Leon Rose?'  
Barron shook his head, confused. 'Her father? She's never mentioned him. At least not to me. She's told me all about her mother though. If she had told anyone, it would have been Justin, and we've only known each other just over a week, anyway. Why?'  
She licked her dry lips. 'Well... I'm not sure if it's my place to say... I suppose it couldn't hurt... When she was little, her father went missing for ages. Mum said he was gone for months. Everyone thought he had left his wife, and she was too proud to admit it. Ages later, he turned up, but he was weird. I mean, he was eccentric to begin with, but after his disappearance... He...would ramble about monsters and dragons, and would shout weird things at people. Once, I remember walking down the street with mum, and he pointed at me and shouted 'Winn, Guard him! Levy over Sam!' . It just didn't make any sense...'  
Barron shifted uncomfortably in the seat. Wingardium Leviosa was a levitation spell that was taught to all the first years. In fact, it is the first spell many Witches and Wizards learn.  
'... One time, he- It was awful- he chased a small boy down a street, shouting at him to give back his power, or the 'Dark One' would get him. It wasn't what he said, that scared me, but the way he said it- he believed, truly believed that there was someone so evil out there. Even as young as I was then, I knew there was something... I don't know. Anyway, some doctors came for Leon the day after that. Strange ones in green uniforms. They took him away. I'm just letting you know that... Well, keep an eye out for her.' she finished, and stared out the window.  
Barron was troubled: those doctors must have been healers from St. Mungo's, and the 'Dark One' was obviously you-know-who. What troubled Barron the most, was Leon's insanity after his disappearance. It was obvious that his absence was spent in the wizarding world, and that he had access to knowledge about He-who-must-not-be-named, which would mean that...  
Barron groaned. Mr Rose had been driven to madness at the hands of a Death Eater, if not HIM himself. This was bad. He didn't know why, but he knew this was very, very bad. The rest of the taxi ride passed in silence, neither of them willing to break the uncomfortable silence. Peta felt like she had betrayed Jodi's trust, but that was stupid, she told herself. Jodi had never asked her to keep what happened a secret, and Barron deserved to know. All the same, she wasn't too happy with herself.


	11. Chapter 11: Grimm Manor and the Lord

**Chapter Eleven:**

Silver clouds passed overhead as Jodi, Justin, Alex, Mick and Gus made their way up the Garden Path to Grimm manor. Running down either side of the path sat sixteen beasts carved out of various shrubs. Dragons, Yeti, and even threshalls gazed down on the group as they slowly wandered.  
'Garden Path... Calling this a garden is like calling the Empire State building a house!' Mick mused, 'This place is huge.'  
They waited under a Laurel Unicorn while they waited for Barron and Peta to join them, telling jokes to pass the time.  
'What do you call a fly with no wings? A walk!' Alex said when his turn came around.  
'That was awful!' Mick laughed, and Alex's ears turned red.  
Not too much later, the sleek, black taxi pulled up at the curling iron gates. A very uncomfortable looking Barron and Peta joined them under the unicorn.  
Justin attempted to raise an eyebrow at Barron, but only succeeded in looking like a startled gopher.  
'Later' Barron mouthed.  
Now that they were all together, they set out on the winding road that lead to the mansion, which was currently obscured by towering yews.  
They rounded the corner, and beheld a magnificent sight. Grimm manor wasn't the most beautiful mansion, nor was it the oldest, but it was incredible. Deep wooden doors were set into deep silver brick walls. While many manors in the area were of a particular period- Tudor, Victorian, Georgian- Grimm manor seemed ageless and not confined to one period. The roof was slate tilled in some places, and thatched in others. The windows were a combination of stained glass arches and silver rimmed crystal-clear windows. Gargoyles sat atop a turret that sprouted from the north of the mansion. Sixteen- no! Seventeen! - Chimneys stuck out from the roof. The building seemed to glow in the early morning sun, and the whole effect was astonishing. This crazy mashed up house was where they were to spend their day.  
'Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Grimm Manor!' Jodi announced, waving her arms for effect.  
'It's... It's...' Justin was at a loss for words.  
'Brilliant! Isn't it, just? I thought about coming here when we were reading that fairy tale book the other day, Justin. Remember? The Brother's Grimm? Well, this place was named after them, because there was a chest found in the turret years ago, with some of their possessions in it. Old letters, pictures and a few half-finished stories were in there. There is no evidence that either of them ever came here, but the current owners decided to use that at the name. Brings in business. It's open on weekends for tours and I thought this might be fun.' she finished. The others gaped stupidly at her, then the house, processing all the information.  
'Well, are we going to go?' she asked, impatiently.  
And so they set off once again. They were forced to split into pairs as the path narrowed: Gus and Mick walked hand in hand, Peta placed herself at Barron's side, leaving Jodi, Justin and Alex to trail awkwardly behind the couples. Jodi grabbed the boys by their elbow and pulled them close together, letting the three of them to walk together in very little comfort.  
'You know, there are rumours that his place is... HAUNTED!' She whispered, her eyes shining wickedly.  
Alex's eyebrows shot up behind his shaggy hair, and Justin stumbled.  
Haunted? While ghosts didn't bother Justin- he was rather fond of the Fat Friar, and Nearly Headless Nick was a great guy- but he wasn't sure how they interacted with Muggles. If the ghosts and spirits haunting the halls were anything like Peeves, they were in for an interesting afternoon.  
Alex shot Justin a panicked look. He seemed to be asking if Muggles could see ghosts. The truth was, Justin didn't know. He had never attended 'Ghost Studies', and the subject had never come up in any of his other classes. He shrugged in reply.  
Gus and Mick were the first to reach the mahogany doors. Gus raised his fist to knock, but before he was able to connect with the door, it swung open.  
'You lot here for a tour?' a woman barked. She would have been in her late thirties, and had a cold, unfriendly gaze, that landed on Gus. He turned a nasty shade of orange, and seemed to shrink.  
Mick puffed out her chest 'Yes we are, Ma'am.'  
The woman stuck a hand into her large, black beehive hairdo, and pulled out a notepad and pen.  
'Rose, party of seven?' she snarled.  
Gus nodded weakly.  
'Well, you're only booked in for a self-guided tour. So don't touch anything, and make sure you're out by twelve. Attic is out of bounds. My office is around the corner if you need Me.' she snarled in a way that suggested that they were not to need her.  
'Have fun, and wipe your feet on the doormat before you come in.' with that, she turned on her heel and left them.  
'Oh, don't mind Darla. She's been. Cranky since her father left her this place. Come on! This is going to be awesome!' Jodi cried, coming up behind them.  
The gang shuffled into the entrance hall, but not before wiping their feet. Nothing was worth the wrath of the 'Queen Beehive'.  
The hall was as mismatched as the outside, with clashing colours and styles. The Southern wall was decorated with huge tapestries, woven with the great deeds of a kind king and his fair queen, in various fluorescent shades. Ancient vases sat on spindly tables and shelves. The gray marble floor had a silver and purple Persian carpet spread out on it. The purple was an exact match for the lumpy armchair in the western corner, beside a Formica side table. While the rest of the room was impressive in its own, what stood out most to Justin was the large portrait directly facing them as they entered. It had been a long while since Justin had seen any Muggle portraits, and he wanted to get a good look at it without being told off for being rude and staring, as is often the case with the Hogwarts Portraits.  
The man was painted, neck up, in a dusty library of aging tomes. He had a long, curly, greying beard, and amused green eyes. Wrinkles around his eyes suggested he was a jolly fellow. His deep red hair was greying and curling as his hair progressed down his back. He wore a high necked collar, with a silver pin shaped like a box kite. 'What a strange man.' Justin thought. Like with the rest of the house, Justin wasn't able to put a time period to the painting. It didn't look old, but there was an ageless quality about it.  
'That's Von Gala. No one knows who he is, but this portrait was found in the Grimm trunk.' Jodi explained.  
'Why don't they ask him?' Barron asked.  
The others laughed.  
'Oh Barron, you're a riot!' Peta cried, gently hitting him on the upper arm.  
'Let's go upstairs.' Mick suggested. They all followed her, as she made her way up the creaky staircase. All but Justin. He found that portrait fascinating... Until it winked at him.

'It's been a long time since I've had anyone but Muggles through here. Do you know how hard it is to stay still all day? My nose has been itching since the harpy opened the doors this morning.' The man boomed in a heavy German accent.

'Um, yeah.' Justin started. Then he had an idea. 'Mr. Von Gala-?' he started, but was cut off.

'The name's Fable, boy. Lord Emil Fable and I expect you want me to answer your friend's question, right? Who I am and all that?'

Justin just nodded, too stunned to speak.

'Well, all right, but if the Harpy comes back and catches me talking…' he shuddered.

'My name is Emil Fable, and I built this house!' he beamed at Justin. 'I wanted a manor, and I wanted it to be big. _Huge._ You may have noticed that it's bigger on the inside, than the outside- Quite an ingenious spell. Yes, yes. Now, I wasn't sure what period I wanted to make it. You may have seen inspiration from all different periods- I even managed to put in some 1950's furniture! Unfortunately, I somehow managed to brick myself into a room and…' his ear turned red, 'I died.' He whispered.

'Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.' Justin replied stupidly.

'Yes, as was my wife. Her spirit haunts these halls, you know-'

A scream issued from upstairs.

'Oh dear.' Muttered Lord Fable.


End file.
